Tips for hosts that are just starting

[ldcdc]

A good thing or not, fact is more and more individuals and companies start to provide hosting services.

I would like this thread to be a collection of tips/advices, on what they should be paying attention to. It can be something from a customer's point of view or something from a hosts' perspective, it really doesn't matter, as long as it is pertinent and you think it can help a host succeed.

[digitzero]

Right, if you're a smaller host, or just starting out this industry, it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the hosting providers.  The best way to get business at first is by offering your service locally instead of trying to compete with a larger host's advertising finances.

Many local businesses's hosting needs aren't very intensive either.  Just open up your yellow pages, and look at how many company's could benefit from a ".com" but don't even have one in their ad they're spending hundreds on a month for.

My 2¢

[crislem]

The best way to get business at first is by offering your service locally instead of trying to compete with a larger host's advertising finances.

I agree with you. What I want to add is that in the beginning small companies should focus on offering great support and care for their customers. If they start locally as you suggested, it is easier to even meet the customer face to face when a problem occurs and thus show that you are preocupied by making everything work just fine.

In either case (and I think at any time), great support is gold. If a customer feels that the hosting company really tries, he can get over an issue (especially if it's an insignificant one). That is how I like to think I act as a customer.

[pvthosting]

The best way to get business at first is by offering your service locally instead of trying to compete with a larger host's advertising finances.

I agree with you. What I want to add is that in the beginning small companies should focus on offering great support and care for their customers. If they start locally as you suggested, it is easier to even meet the customer face to face when a problem occurs and thus show that you are preocupied by making everything work just fine.

Does driving an hour and a half on Sunday afternoon to help settle down an irritated customer and getting everything resolved in their living room count as being preoccupied with support?

I had a customer who had been with me for about 5 months. She called me up on Sunday morning and told me she was unable to publish her site with FrontPage. I tried to walk her through some diagnostics and  she didn't live extremely far from me I asked her if it'd be better if I came to her and helped her out. She was thrilled that I'd do such a thing and was happy when I left.

Now this brings me to a question I'd like to ask other hosts...do you find getting customers to actually post testimonials and/or reviews difficult? I have customers who tell me they will do it but never do it. I don't feel right offering bribes to get them to post reviews because then i fear they will be biased. Does anyone else have this problem? I know if I tried to get the above customer to do it, she'd tell me for months she was going to do it but never had time.

Support is key. I know I am extremely impatient and can't wait 5 minutes sometimes. As soon as I get a support request I stop what ever I'm doing and address it. I have taken precautions so if I'm unavailable someone else is available to answer the support request. I also have forums on my web site in hopes that customers will post their requests there and others can learn from them. I monitor the forums as constant as I monitor my email and phone calls.

The other thing I'd highly recommend to new hosts is to watch out for the reseller accounts. I have found that leasing a dedicated server from a reputable provider has kept my support headaches down to almost none. I am not at the mercy of someone else to fix things if something goes down on the server. Of course, my primary income is from server management, so I have the necessary skills to manage the servers properly.

If you do lease a dedicated server make sure you have the skills to do so properly and if not have someone on hand who does.

just me 2 cents

[ldcdc]

The other thing I'd highly recommend to new hosts is to watch out for the reseller accounts. I have found that leasing a dedicated server from a reputable provider has kept my support headaches down to almost none. I am not at the mercy of someone else to fix things if something goes down on the server. Of course, my primary income is from server management, so I have the necessary skills to manage the servers properly.

Well, you would be more of an exception to the rule these days. There are a lot of hosting startups these days, and my guess is that most of them are lured into this business by the low barrier of entry -- the reseller accounts being the main attraction.

IMO a reseller account can be a good (temporary) solution for someone who is mainly a business man, a manager, or a marketer rather than a server admin.

[HostAnd]

Bigger is not always better!

Do not assume that you must offer 10gb disc space and 100gb bandwidth for $2 a month to get clients. In most cases you will drive away more potential clients then you will attract them. Instead, choose a nice level price that is both affordable, and that will enable you to upgrade your server when the time comes.

[JohnLee380]

Best way to start is getting your friends to host with you, then target small personal sites and offer great support. Then they will write good reviews about yoru company which later on will turn into new customers.

[onTheMoon]

You can also cooperate with some web design companies - offer them %% from the sells if they recommend your hosting for their clients. And also offer the reseller plans. And discount coupons as well.

[hexahost]

Though I am also a starter as a company, I wish to offer my tips (as i am more than seven years older as a hosting service professional)

1) Though we all came here to earn money, wait for a while your egg will hatch. All oceans could have started from a small drop.
2)  Capital : Do not pour all your capital in one shot. Just split it and spend every month.
3) Server : If you are financially strong, rent a server. If not get a good reseller package.
4) Always update your knowledge. Implement new technology to your clients, when ever you can.
5) Remember a quote from a famous man : (By the way, I am from his country)

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so

- Mahatma Gandhi

[ldcdc]

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so

- Mahatma Gandhi

Old country, old culture, wise men.

[hexahost]

@ldcdc

Thank you

[Jumpline]

I would say this way: 'choose the host that suits your needs and provides constant and uninterrupted services and support'!

[Steve-Hostirian]

For providers just starting out, don't ignore your local communities - especially new businesses.

You can't be everywhere at the same time, but you do have to be on your prospects mind, in some manner, when they're ready to buy. How that happens is what separates average sales reps from sales champions.

Prospects more often buy - from a sales rep or company they know, like and trust. Even though it seems that everyone buys on price alone, many successful reps and businesses sell on value, offering business class solutions that fill a void, resolve issues or provide a growth opportunity.

I've heard that sales is simply a numbers game - spread the word, maximize appointments, make the appropriate number of proposals, then statistically expect a resulting number of closed deals. If only it were that easy. There is a psychology to sales. Certainly, getting yourself out there is important. Keeping yourself out there is so much more important. By that, I mean when the time comes for that prospect to pull the trigger, will you be in their sights? If they've opt'd in to your monthly email broadcast or have a scratch pad with your picture and contact info on it sitting on their desk, would that help put you on their short list? Being in the right place at the right time should not be an accident.

[ldcdc]

Being in the right place at the right time should not be an accident.

I believe that a lot of the time, that's how things are though. I may be looking for x product/service, and research companies for months. The purchasing decision will probably depend on that quite a bit, but it will probably be influenced heavily by the more recent developments/information. A great offer from a host on my "maybe" list may sometimes be enough. An email/phone that arrives days before I mean to order, may also attract me to their website. (Amazon is smart this way. I get emails from them around the dates when I usually order a gift card/gifts for family overseas.)

The most important thing though, at least for me, is proper communication. When communication fails, nothing gets done - at least, not the way you want it done. So, a sales representative that proves able to pull the necessary strings and reacts fast, may be enough of a reason to choose a company over the other, even if they're more expensive.

[4goodhosting]

Those tips are nice indeed.
Thanks for sharing.